After the usual first day rat race, I made it to Budapest, pronounced "pech" or something like that. I planned to pick up an Enterprise rental car at Gainesville Airport, but when I got there, I found out they wouldn't take my debit card. So I flew (almost) to Orlando in my own vehicle and parked it and hoped for the best. Orlando Airport was on level orange security alert which made things even more stressful, getting into the boarding area and waving goodbye to my suitcase, hoping it would end up with me. I flew to New York JFK Airport and then on to Budapest.

Boy Scout Troop 163 of the First United Methodist Church in Williston will be holding its final car wash of the summer, trying to raise money to help offset the cost of fuel for its annual summer camp. This year 17 boys are going to Camp Rainey Mountain in Clayton, Ga. The cost of diesel fuel for the bus will be about $1,000. This is an enormous cost for such a small troop.

The Rotary Club of Williston held its annual Officer Installation Banquet on Friday, June 20 at the Williston Womans Club. The event was well attended by Rotarians, area business and government leaders, as well as many local political candidates.

esterday, which happened to be June 14th, I picked blackberries in the wood next door. Blackberries are not all made equal, and some varieties that grow in our area produce larger fruit than others. I know this from observation. Some of the berries I picked were about an inch long. I look for the largest fruit, because then my container fills quicker. Large is not the only criteria. I also look for ripe berries, but not too ripe. They should be easily taken from the stem and a nice shiny blue black color.

The Williston Rotary Club will hold its annual officer installation banquet on Friday, June 20, at the Williston Woman's Club.

Social time starts at 6:30 p.m. and dinner is at 7.

Tickets are $25. Reservations may be made by calling Jason Cason at 528-3101.

Candidates visit

on Saturday night

On Saturday Night June 21, Bronson Motor Speedway will host its first ever Politicians Rally. An invitation was sent to all 23 candidates running for office in Levy County to come and attend and address the crowd.

What do you do during these hot humid days? Folks in this part of the country find ways to beat the heat, or at least tolerate it. A person can stay indoors with a fan blowing or air conditioning running. Indoor activities I enjoy include reading, doing needlework and watching DVDs. Sometimes I just sit and watch my parakeets acting like clowns.